A novel crystal characterization instrument has been built up in which a combination of X-ray multiple diffraction and X-ray topography is applied to enabling the cross-correlation between micro-crystallographic symmetry and its spatial dependence in relation to lattice defects. This facility is used to examine, in a selfconsistent manner, growth sector-dependant changes to both the crystallographic structure and the lattice defects associated with the action of habit-modifying additives in a number of representative crystal growth systems. In addition, the new instrument can be used to probe micro-crystallographic aspects (such as distortion to crystal symmetry) and relate these in a spatially resolved manner to the crystal defect structure in crystals doped with known habit modifiers.